Wire-bending machine



G. JAcoBs 2,169,420

WIRE-BENDING MACHINE Aug. 15, 1939 Filed Nov. 27, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet lAug. 15, 1939 G. JACOBS WIRE-BENDING MACHINE Filed Nov. 27, 1956 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR GEORGE JACOBS NEYSE ATTOR Patented Aug. 15, 1939UNITED STATES 2,169,420 WIRE-BENDINor MACHINE George Jacobs,Y Detroit,Mich., -assignor of-oneA half to Emil Goetz, Detroit, Miclig f.'

` Application November 27, 1936, selenium112,921

6 Claims.

The presentinvention relates to machines for bending wire andmorespecifically for bending such'wire into serpentine or zigzag forrn forthe production of springs useful for various purposes.

v Among the objects of the invention is a machine for the purposeindicated, which shall be continuous in operation and which may beoperated te produce the bent wire in indeterminate lengths, toebesubsequently cut to the lengths .l required,

Another object is a machine whichshall be simple in construction andoperation and little subject to wear or disablement.

rAnother object is a machine which may be 4readily adjusted to providefor a range of wire diameters, so as to enable the production of springsof differing resiliencies and different pitch.

Still other objects will readily occur to those skilled` in the art uponreference to the following description and drawings in which Figure 1 isa vertical central sectional View of a machine coming under the presentinvention,

, Figure 2v is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a topplan View of the machine, Figure 4 is a side elevation, partly insection,

Figure 5 is a detail in perspective, and l Figure is a diagrammatic viewshowing a wire in the process of being bent and also illustrating aportion of the product.

As indicated, the machine comprises a pair of gears I0 suitably dishedand having on their con- Vex Sides large hubs Il. These gears I3 are, asshown, coupled together with their concave faces opposed, by means of alarge bolt or shaft I2, a heavy spring I3 being interposed. Under thenut |2a on shaft I2 may be placed ametal washer or plate I4 andresilient washer or plate of rubber The gears I0 will have their hubs I|suitably finished to provide bearing members for the pair and will bemounted in bearings 2E] formed in end plates or frame members 2| securedto a suitable support (not shown).

The gears IB are identical, and each is provided with radially arrangedslots 25 cut through its web or spokes and extending from near the hubto near the rim, as shown in Figures 1 and 2; and in each slot isarranged a slide 26 such as is shown more in detail in Figures l and 5.

The slide 26 consists of a portion, T-shaped in cross-section, of whichthe stem 21 passes through a slot 25, with the cross piece 28 bearingagainst the outer face of a spoke.l Secured to the part- 2'I, as bysuitable screws 29, is a plate 30 adapted (Cl. 1110-191) K to bearagainst the inner surface of a spoke, and this also is [provided with aportion carrying a hook orffnge'r 3| (those` hooks carried by one gearbeingfdesignated Vby the numeral 3|, while those carriedby theV othergear being designated 3|a). L

In assembling the machine the wheels IB will be so related to each otheras toplace the series of hooks'SI staggered with the series of hooks3|a, that is, eachhook 3| will lbeevenly interspaced with adjacent hooksSla.

The slide member 26 also carries a roller cam follower 33 on the sideopposite hook 3|, the roller beingvpreferably mounted upon a hollowshaft4 portion 34, formingv an integral part of the T-member, and heldagainst longitudinal movement by a large headed bolt 35.

The cam followers 33 are intended to cooperate with a pair of face cams40, each mounted eccentrically upon one of the frame members 2| by meansof the screws 4I, and so arranged as to cause the slides 26 to moveradially in the slots 25 as the gears `Ill are rotated. The rotation maybe accomplished by small driving gears 45 carried by a shaft 46driven'by a suitable motor (not shown).` 'The'operationof the machineseems quite obvious `from the description and` involves feeding a lWire46 between the hooks 3| and 3221, at the top of the machine where thehooks 3| and 3|a have moved toward each other to a position such as isindicated best in Figure 1 and at the left of Figure 6. Y

As the gears I0 revolve, the hooks begin to withdraw and, of course,pull the wire with them, gradually bending it toserpentine form, asshown in Figure 6, until they reach the bottom, at which point the twoseries of slides are farthest apart but the members of a series closetogether ras indicated in Figs. 2 and 6. l

When the slides again start outwardly of the slots 25, the Wire isreleased and may be easily removed from the hooks.

In order to prevent the Wire from becomin prematurely disengaged fromthe hooks, it is preferred to position a guide member 50 just outside ofthe path of the hooks so that it eX- tends from the point of wire feedto just beyond the bottom point, as shown in Figure 2. The guide membermay be supported in any suitable fashion, as by a leg 5I, and is shownas narrow at the top and wide near the point of discharge.

The spring I3 and resilient member i5, respectively, are preferablyprovided to give a possible yield in the machine against excessive pullof Y and provided with wire engaging meanaa camv hooks 3| and Sla and toact as a shock absorber in case of breakage of the wire. Of course, thespring I3 should be of suiiicient strength to maintain the wheel spacingunder Vusual operating Such means is shown in Figures 3 and 4 andthrough the use of vertically slotted holes in members 2l for thepassage of screws 4l.

The moving means consists of a yoke 60 of which Vthe arms are fulcrumedat 61| pongthe frame members 2l and are forked at the end as at V62 toembrace corresponding screws 4|. The outer end 'of the yoke is thenprovided with a suitablejack screw v63, by means of which the forkedarms may be moved to move the Ycams 40 either 'up or down, when thescrews 4I have been loosened.

What I claim is: Y

1. A Wire bending machine comprising a pair f of dished wheels carriedupon-a shaft and spaced from eachother, with their convex sides outward,said wheels being provided with an equal number of radial slots in each,the slots of one Wheel being staggered with respect to the Vslots of theother, slide members carried in saidfslots and provided with wireengaging means, means for rotating said Wheels, and means for causingradial movement of said slide members in said vslots during saidrotation.

2. A wire bending machine comprising Va pair of dished wheels carriedupon'a shaft and spaced `from each other. with their convex sidesoutward, said wheels being provided with an equal number of radial slotsin each, the slots of one wheel being staggered with respect to theslots of the other, slide members carried in saidY slots followerncarri/ed,- by'each of said members, sta

' tionary cam means co=acting with said followers to cause radialmovement of said members when said wheels are rotated, and means forrotating said wheels.

3. 4A wire bending machine comprising a pair of dished wheels carriedupon a shaft and spaced from each other, with their convex sidesoutward, a pair of frame members having bearings in which said wheelsare rotatably mounted, wire engaging members carried by said wheels andmovable radially from. near said shaft to near the periphery thereof,face cams carried by said frame members and cof-acting with said membersto provide such radial movement when the wheels n are rotated, and meansfor producing such rotation.

4. A wire bending machine comprising a pair ofedished wheels carriedupon a shaft andspaced from each-other, withftheir convex sides outward,a pair of frame members having bearings in which said wheels arerotatably mounted, wire engaging members carried by said wheels andmovable radially from near said shaft toI near the periphery thereof,face cams adjustably carried by said frame members and co-acting withsaid members to provide such radial movement when the wheels arerotated, means for producing such rotation, equally adjusting theposition of said cams.

5. In a wire bending machine a pair of op Vposed series of wire engagingmembers, the members of one, seriesv being evenly interspaced betweenthe members of the other series, means for moving the members of oneseries to and from overlapping relation with the members of the otherseries, and means for causing the members of a series to approach andrecede from eachV a series to approach and recede from each other,

and means for maintaining the engagement, of

a wire with said members. I Y

GEORGE JACOBS.

and means for simultaneously andY other series, means for causingthe'members'of

